1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of locking means for the blade of a folding knife, and more particularly to a novel finger-operated latch having spring means for maintaining the blade in either a folded or unfolded position.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to fold a blade into a storage position within the handle of a knife and to unfold the blade into an extended or operative position. In most instances, a locking mechanism is provided for maintaining the knife in the extended position so that it will not inadvertently fold while in use. Generally, the latch for holding the blade in the extended position is spring-biased and is releasable by the hand of the user. However, problems and difficulties have been encountered with such locking assemblies which stem largely from the fact that although the latch of the lock is operative to maintain the blade in its unfolded and extended position, no means is provided for releasably locking the blade in the folded position. Therefore, after the blade has been used for many times, it may become loose at its pivot connection with the handle so that the tendency of the blade to drop out of its storage slot in the handle of the knife is oftentimes experienced. Also, there is no positive control over the blade in its stored and extended positions so that the looseness of the blade at its connection with the handle often results in damage to the blade and injury to the user. Another problem with conventional knives and locking assemblies resides in the fact that conventional knives do not provide an appropriate feel for the blade in its travel from the open to the closed position.
Therefore, a long-standing need exists to provide a novel locking mechanism for a knife blade which not only provides an appropriate "feel" for the blade throughout its travel between its open and closed positions but also provides a positive locking action for the blade with respect to the handle when the blade is in its extended operative position or when it is in its closed storage position.